Aust Crit Care
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An association between the administration of paracetamol and relative hypotension in critically ill intensive care patients has been reported anecdotally by nursing staff working in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Prince Henry Hospital. An observational study was therefore undertaken, to determine whether there is a temporal association between the administration of paracetamol and changes in blood pressure. A dose of 1 gram of paracetamol was administered orally or by feeding tube. ⋯ SAP and MAP fell by an average of approximately 10 and 7 per cent respectively, with maximum falls of 36 and 34 per cent respectively. Paracetamol administration may be indicated for the control of fever in critically ill patients, thereby reducing oxygen demand. However, this must be balanced against the possibility of causing a significant fall in blood pressure.